Franklin Avenue cut-through in Gretna is closed

Motorists looking to avoid congestion at the intersection of Stumpf Boulevard and the West Bank Expressway in Gretna will no longer be able to use the Franklin Avenue cut-through after the city closed the street Friday. Realm Realty bought a portion of Franklin Street from Stumpf Boulevard to the Expressway in 2010, but the city and the developer didn't finalize the deal until late last year.

View full sizeSusan Poag,The Times-PicayuneA small segment of Franklin Avenue between Stumpf Boulevard and the West Bank Expressway in Gretna has been closed. February 3 2012

The company agreed to a purchase price of $465,000. But in return for cash, the city agreed to make utility improvements to the site that could cost as much as the purchase price.

Mayor Ronnie Harris called the plan a good deal because the new land will allow the Westside Shopping Center to expand, and hopefully create an economic boost for the city.

"This project has taken a number of years to complete, but now that the sale is complete, the developer will be able to expand its holdings, and Gretna will see increased property-tax and sales-tax potential in the future," said Harris in a news release Friday.

He acknowledged the actual cash proceeds from the sale will be relatively small.

City officials have been working on the deal since 2008, when they persuaded the state Department of Transportation and Development to transfer ownership of part of Franklin. Due to the closure, the intersection at Franklin and Stumpf will get a new traffic signal, Harris said.

Barriere Construction will dismantle the street, and Harris said it should take about 140 days for the project to be completed. That property is expected to become part of the parking lot at the development and could lead to the expansion of Academy Sports and the addition of two new tenants at the site.